Michael Powell is undisputedly one of the greatest filmmakers to have lived. His works span decades, genres and visual styles. Often overshadowed by his contemporary (and the man who gave him a break in the industry)
Alfred Hitchcock, Powell nonetheless has an amazing catalogue of films and to see this 1938 classic remastered and released in high definition is fantastic.
The Edge of The World, issued this week
on Blu-ray by the BFI, is set on the remote Hebridean island of Hirta, in the St. Kilda islands North West of Scotland. It is a bleak, unforgiving terrain that is battered by the elements and cut off from wider society. We join the island in its death throes: emigration of its young citizens, increasingly barren soil and encroaching modernity in its twin forms of greedy trawlers dredging the sea of its fish and the lure of the mainland and higher-paid work. Against this saddening backdrop there is a story of love, loss and ideological conflict that combines the high drama of the period with a powerful empathy and understanding of the world which crumbles before us. In this, his first independent feature film, Powell sets the tone for the rest of his career as he packs the narrative with innovations. He sets the story within the musings of a boatman carrying tourists to the now-deserted isle, and occasionally the living memory he conjures up descends into misty ghosts who flit through the world in a surreal, almost fairytale way (a style that lends itself to the aura of age exuded by the aged machinations of the film). The narrative is also frequently punctuated by equally impressive shots of the rugged landscape of the Shetlands, where The Edge of the World was filmed. But none of these noteworthy elements detract from the tale Powell weaves as, already with the mark of a legendary filmmaker, he ties everything together with a fantastically skilled eye for a story.
QUALITY
Superb. The quality is exceptional, and even for a 1930's black-and-white movie it justifies the extract price increase to Blu-ray.
EXTRAS
As if this fantastic film alone wasn't reason enough to add the blu-ray to your collection, it's packed full of impressive extras. A full commentary from Powell's widow, and award-winning editor,
Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell and
Professor Ian Christie adds enormous value to the feature and, as the icing on the cake, is punctuated by readings of Michael Powell's book about the film by
Daniel Day-Lewis. There is also a 24-minute short film about Michael Powell returning to the island of Foula along with the original cast and crew, a 7-minute collection of footage shot by Michael Powell narrated by Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell and a short travelogue about St. Kilda. On top of this there is the original theatrical trailer, which is hilarious, 9 minutes of alternative scenes which were especially shot for a shortened version of the film in 1944 and an alternative intro. Plus there is an accompanying booklet containing essays on the film, supplementary information and some great illustrations. What more could you ask for? The Edge of the World
is available on Blu-ray right now.